Strong earthquake jolts central Philippines, houses damaged
Manila: A powerful earthquake struck a central Philippine region on Tuesday, trapping a family in a collapsed house, damaging other houses, low-slung buildings and a seaport and prompting people to dash outdoors for safety.
Roads and bridges were cracked in Cataingan, the coastal town nearest the epicenter, according to Rino Revalo, a Masbate provincial administrator, and initial images of the quake aftermath.
A Cataingan resident, Isagani Libatan, said he was on his way to his aunt's house for breakfast when his motorcycle suddenly swayed from left to right as the ground heaved.
I thought it was my tire but people suddenly streamed out in panic from swaying houses then we lost power, Libatan told The Associated Press by telephone, pausing briefly as he felt another fairly strong aftershock.
Revalo told ABS-CBN network that a three-story house collapsed in Cataingan as the ground shook and trapped a retired police officer and his family. Rescuers scrambled to save them, he said.
People should avoid returning immediately to damaged structures, he said.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the 6.6 magnitude quake hit about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Cataingan at a depth of about 21 kilometers (13 miles).
Renato Solidum, who heads the government institute, said there was no threat of a tsunami from the earthquake, which was set off by movement in the Philippine Fault. The quake was felt in several provinces across the central Visayas region.
The Philippines lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of faults around the Pacific Ocean where most of the world's earthquakes occur. It's also lashed by about 20 typhoons and storms each year, making it one of the world's most disaster-prone countries.
A magnitude 7.7 quake killed nearly 2,000 people in the northern Philippines in 1990.
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Bengaluru: Four arrested for housebreaking, threats, extortion; fake PSI among accused
Bengaluru: Vidyaranyapura police have arrested four persons, including a man posing as a Police Sub-Inspector (PSI), for allegedly breaking into a house, threatening the occupants, and extorting money while wearing police uniforms.
The arrested accused have been identified as Mallikarjuna, Pramod, Vinay, and Hrithik.
Police said the accused had hatched a plan to pose as police personnel, conduct fake raids, and extort money from residents by intimidation.
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According to the police, Mallikarjuna had failed the PSI examination twice and later falsely projected himself as a PSI. He allegedly conducted photo shoots in his hometown, Siraguppa, wearing a police uniform, baton, cap, and shoes, claiming to be serving as a PSI in Bengaluru.
On December 7, the four accused allegedly went to the house of Naveen in the Vidyaranyapura limits, threatened him with a stick and an iron rod, and claimed they had information that he was selling ganja. Under the pretext of searching, they allegedly extorted ₹87,000 through bank transfer, ₹53,000 in cash kept in the house, and ₹2,000 from his wallet.
Following Naveen’s complaint, Vidyaranyapura police registered a case and launched an operation, leading to the arrest of all four accused. Police have seized ₹45,000 in cash and the car used to commit the crime.
Further investigation is underway.
